Oxfordshire · London and the South East
Enslow Chimney Survey
Chimney surveys across Enslow, backed by more than 20 years’ experience. Every survey ends with a written report and photographs.
- Staining on walls around the chimney
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Loose, cracked or missing pots
Chimney survey in Enslow
A leaning chimney stack is worth having looked at. Stacks can lean when mortar on one side breaks down, often after years of flue gases and damp. We record the lean and the condition of the brickwork and pointing. Where it may be a structural concern, we will recommend a structural engineer. If you’re worried about damaged chimney pots and cowls and mortar washing out of the joints, we can find out what’s behind it, whatever the roof.
Somewhere as small as Enslow, homes are frequently older cottages and farmhouses, with outbuildings and some newer houses. Older roofs may be clay tile, slate, stone or thatch, often with chimneys that have stood a long time. Each needs checking in its own way, and thatch is a specialist material we report on as far as it can be seen. On older roofs, it is typically the chimneys and lead flashings that need work first.
The report doesn’t just list problems. It explains what we found, why it matters and what we recommend, so you can decide what to do next.
- Place
- Enslow (OX5)
- Wider area
- Oxfordshire
- Prices
- From £150 inc. VAT
- Reports
- Written, with photos, emailed to you
- Survey days
- Weekdays and weekends
- Insured
- PI and public liability insurance
- Call
- 07833 053749
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
Landlord and commercial surveys in Enslow
An agent can book and manage the survey for a landlord, and the report can go to both. Access is agreed with the tenant beforehand.
Letting agents can arrange access with tenants, at a time agreed ahead of time. Surveys run seven days a week, which helps when tenants work during the week.
What this survey cannot tell you
It is a careful look at the chimney stack, not the whole story. The main limits are:
- Hidden damage within the stack
- Structural calculations for a leaning stack
- Hidden sides of a shared stack
Not sure which survey suits your roof? You can call 07833 053749 or send us an email and we will tell you before you book. The full list of what we check.
What this survey covers
- Lead flashings
- Flaunching
- Shared and party-wall stacks
- Brick chimney stacks
- Chimney pots and cowls
- Chimney breasts
Useful tips for Enslow property owners
A few practical points come up again and again on our surveys. They apply to most roofs:
- Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for gas appliances
- Keep track of stains on chimney breasts
- Glance at the stacks from the street now and then
- File photos of the stacks with your home records
You get the report by email and can pass it to whoever does the work. We use plain English and a photo for each defect, so it is easy to follow.
Check fixings on the stack are sound, and moved if they’re working it loose. Less load on the stack means less strain in wind.
Enslow questions
How do I find out if my home in Enslow is listed?
For listing, use Historic England’s list; for conservation areas, ask the council. The answer matters most when a change of material is on the cards.
Can a landlord with a rental near Tackley station book a roof survey?
Yes. We survey roofs for landlords, letting agents and managing agents as well as owners. Just call 07833 053749 or email us with the details.
What do I do with the report?
We email you the written report with photos and recommendations. You can use it to talk to a seller, an insurer, a roofer or a managing agent, whichever applies.
Should a redundant chimney be removed?
There’s no single answer. The survey shows its condition and how it’s been capped. In a conservation area or on a listed building, changes may need consent.
Do you test for asbestos?
No. Asbestos surveys and testing are not part of what we do. We flag materials that could contain asbestos, such as cement sheets or soffits on pre-2000 buildings, and recommend a specialist asbestos surveyor checks them before they’re disturbed.
How do you inspect a chimney without scaffolding?
We inspect from wherever is safe: the ground, nearby windows and higher points, and the roof space. A drone inspection is included in our Premium Survey where applicable. If part of a stack can’t be seen, the report says so.
Will you fly a drone over my roof?
Yes, where it is applicable. We hold a CAA Flyer ID and Operator ID and fly a drone under 250g, and the airspace and weather are checked before every flight.
More services for Enslow
What a chimney survey looks like in Enslow
With Blenheim Palace about 3 miles south-west, Enslow sits in an area with a long building history. Older roofs in the wider area can hide decades of patch repairs, so the detail matters, and a listed home or one in a conservation area may need consent for changes of material. West Oxfordshire’s older buildings often carry Cotswold stone slates, and a few villages in the county keep their thatch. Slate and clay tile are the usual coverings on older South East houses, with concrete tiles on many later estates. Each of these coverings has its own weak points, from fixings and valleys to flashings, chimneys and gutters.
Landlords with a home close to Tackley station may find that the gap between tenancies is a good time to have the roof looked at. If you live in an older home near Church of Holy Cross, corroded nails, tired lead and weathered chimney pointing are the things to watch on older roofs.
Enslow is about 7 miles south-west of Bicester, in Oxfordshire. Surveys in Enslow work the same way as everywhere we cover: a careful inspection, photographs and a written report. Enslow is one of the towns and villages in Oxfordshire where we work. You can also see our page for Oxford.
We survey roofs across OX5 for chimney surveys and the streets around it. We offer chimney surveys to properties on Station Road, Lince Lane and Ingleby Paddocks. We also cover the places around Enslow: Bletchingdon (1 mile east), Kirtlington (1 mile north-east), Hampton Poyle (2 miles south-east), Kidlington (3 miles south) and Weston-on-the-Green (3 miles east). Further out, we also cover Oxford (8 miles south), Banbury (14 miles north), Bicester (7 miles north-east), Abingdon-on-Thames (13 miles south), Witney (10 miles south-west) and Carterton (14 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Enslow
Around Enslow, our work takes us to homes and buildings near The Marlborough Church of England School and Rock Of Gibraltar Public House, among other places. Enslow’s nearest station is Tackley station, roughly 1.5 miles north. Well-known places in the area include Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum (2.6 miles west). Green spaces nearby include Woodsides Meadow.
When to book a survey in Enslow
Chimney stacks stand above the roof, exposed to wind, rain and frost on every side. Frost opens up cracks in the mortar, and rain gets into worn bricks and joints. People usually call us when they notice damp or a problem with the stack, or before a purchase.
These are some of the problems a survey can pick up:
- Disused chimneys trapping moisture
- Damp patches on chimney breasts
- Lifted or split lead flashings
- Signs that a stack is leaning
Anyone responsible for a site like Bletchingdon Parochial Church of England Primary School will know that long gutter runs and wide roofs on a building that size are worth checking on a regular cycle.
Before you book anyone
- Which parts of the roof they’ll actually see
- What the report includes, and whether it has photographs
- Whether the inside of the roof is included
- Their track record with similar roofs
What we look for on each type of roof
Brick stacks
Spalled bricks, where the face has flaked off, are a sign of water and frost. We record any we can see.
Chimney breasts and the loft
If a chimney breast has been removed below, we note what we can see of the support above. Confirming the support is a job for a structural engineer.
What we do, step by step
The aim of the visit is simple: to look at the chimney stack as closely as is safe and record what we find. Everything we note and photograph goes into the written report. It typically takes about 1–2 hours at most homes, with bigger or more complicated roofs taking longer. For a village or hamlet like Enslow, the journey is planned ahead of time: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. On the day, we inspect what can safely be seen, inside and out.
- We go through the chimneys, any damp and any work done on them.
- We look at every stack from wherever it can be seen safely.
- We photograph and record the pots, flaunching, pointing and flashings.
- We look for damp on chimney breasts and in the loft space.
- The report, with photographs and recommendations, is emailed to you.
Preparing for the visit
- Make a note of anything you’d like us to look at
- If you’re buying, check with the agent that we can get in
- Find any records of previous roof work
Arrange a survey
We confirm the price for the job before you book, so you know the cost up front. Chimney survey starts from £150, including VAT. For a price for your roof, call 07833 053749 or send us an email.